Childhood obesity

Childhood obesity is a common problem especially in the United States where one in five children are considered obese while one in three is considered overweight.

Childhood obesity

What causes childhood obesity?

What are the effects of childhood obesity?

Where can I find childhood obesity related articles?

What are the statistics for childhood obesity rates in the US?

What are the medical causes of childhood obesity?

How can childhood obesity be prevented?

How is childhood obesity defined?

In adults, obesity is defined as having excess body fat. Body mass index (BMI) is a widely used screening tool for measuring obesity. BMI is a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of a person’s height in meters.

However, in children, a percentile score is used to measure BMI. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), overweight and obese children are defined as below:

CDC defines overweight in children and young people as a BMI at or above the 85th percentile and less than the 95th percentile for young people of the same age and sex.

CDC defines obesity in children and young people as BMI at or above the 95th percentile for young people of the same age and sex.

Although it was traditionally oversimplified as overconsumption of calories and not burning enough calories through exercise (calories in, calories out or energy balance), the reality is that there are many complex factors at play that lead to this including the environment, genetics, metabolic factors as some people have slower metabolism than others, lack of proper sleep, food processing and and addition of things like high fructose corn syrup to many processed foods, and the wrong recommendations from government agencies such as United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) with its failed and now withdrawn food guide pyramid. Some of these factors are listed below.

W8MD Weight Loss, Sleep & MedSpa Team

Genetic factors

Metabolism—how your body changes food and oxygen into energy it can use

Since its inception in 2011, W8MD’s insurance physician weight loss program has successfully helped thousands of patients succeed in not only losing weight but also keep it off with an ongoing maintenance plan.

Prab R. Tumpati, MD.
Dr. Tumpati is the founder and medical director of W8MD Weight Loss, Sleep and MedSpa Centers. Dr Tumpati is board certified physician practicing sleep medicine, obesity medicine, aesthetic medicine and internal medicine. Dr. Tumpati’s passion is to educate patients and get to the root of the problem rather than "band aid medicine".
As a physician with fellowship training in Obesity Medicine, Dr. Tumpati has a unique approach to wellness, weight loss, and medical aesthetics with a focus on prevention rather than cure.
Dr. Tumpati takes pride in helping patients come of many chronic life style medications such as blood pressure, cholesterol or diabetes medications by helping them lose weight and change their life style.
Dr Tumpati believes in evidence based medicine rather than fad diets that do not work and works with each patient taking their unique situation in to consideration that causes them to gain weight so he can find a customized solution.
Serving as the medical director of the W8MD's New York City, Cherry Hill NJ and greater Philadelphia offices, Dr Tumpati is the leading weight loss, sleep and aesthetic medicine physician in the tristate areas of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.